UB Officials: We Weren’t Involved In NYPD Muslim Student Surveillance

The University of Buffalo released the following statement in response to an Associated Press report on widespread surveillance by the NYPD of Muslim college students attending higher ed institutions far outside the limits of New York City – including some at UB:

“This was the first time that the university learned of this matter. University at Buffalo officials were not contacted by NYPD, and the university did not provide any information to the NYPD.”

“UB does not conduct this kind of surveillance, and, if asked, UB would not voluntarily cooperate with such a request.”

“As a public university, UB strongly supports the values of freedom of speech and assembly, freedom of religion, and a reasonable expectation of privacy. UB welcomes students, faculty and staff from a wide range of diverse backgrounds.”

The AP story cites a NYPD intelligence report from Jan. 2, 2009 that described a trip by three NYC officers to Buffalo, where they met with a high-ranking member of the Erie County Sheriff’s Department and agreed “to develop assets jointly in the Buffalo area, to act as listening posts within the ethnic Somalian community.”

According to this report, the sheriff’s department official noted “that there are some Somali Professors and students at SUNY-Buffalo and it would be worthwhile to further analyze that population.” An NYPD spokesman said the department did not follow that recommendation.

Another NYPD report dated Nov. 22, 2006 indicated officers fro the department’s Cyber Intelligence unit visited the websites, blogs and forums of Muslim student associations as a “daily routine” at a number of universities, including Syracuse University and four SUNY schools: Stonybook, Potsdam, Albany and Buffalo.

A UB student who was a Muslim Student Association board member ended up in a police report for forwarding an email in 2006 about an Islamic conference in Toronto.

The Erie County Sheriff’s Department issued this statement:

“Some of the most dangerous Western Al Qaeda linked/inspired terrorists since 9/11 were radicalized and/or recruited at Muslim Student Associations.”

“As a result, the NYPD deemed it prudent to get a better handle on what was occurring at MSA’s via open sources like websites – hence we lawfully assembled reports under Handshu guidelines on same in 2006 and 2007.”